Rise Of The Beast Queen: Elizabeth

Ch 32 Cool Touch

"What have you done to this female?" A middle aged ape beastman demanded, looking like a humanoid version of Rafiki from the Lion King only his cheeks aren't blue, as he took a brave step forward, feeling supported by the numerous males of his tribe already surrounding them, ready for a fight.

"I found this female and brought her here, nothing more." Taren explained with a clipped tone in his voice and a board look in his cold dark eyes. The ape male took the opportunity to observe the injured female cowering on the ground, trying to shield herself from view with her scrawny arms, even from a distance he realized the only mate marks visible on her body are white tiger on her chest and the angry looking orange tiger on the top of her foot. Despite the heavy scent of river water and this turtle beastman on her, she still carried the strong pungent mating musk of a male tiger.

"P... Please stop staring... And help me. I need a healer." Liz demanded with embarrassment painting her cheeks but pain and exhaustion in her eyes. Her snappy tone pulled the males out of their thoughts,

"Female, I'm Dylan, the healer of the Rivers Bend Tribe. I'll treat your wounds." The ape beastman said as he stepped closer but Tairen suddenly lifted her into his arms. Liz winced from the soreness in her body and Tairen hesitated, but Liz only exhaled a long deep breath as she settled against his hard plate covered chest, it wasn't exactly comfortable but it was cool against her feverish skin which actually felt nice and soothing.

Dylan nod in acceptance of the females choice, he knew she wouldn't have relied on him so easily if he'd been the one to hurt her, so he told the males of his tribe to stand down, then led them to his healer hut and ushered them inside. The walk wasn't long but somewhere along the way the gentle sway eased Liz back to sleep.
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Trigger Warning! Skip ahead to next chapter if this could affect you.
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Darkness swirled around Liz while she struggled against it's suffocating embrace.

"You thought you could escape me." A cruel deep voice chuckled menacingly into her ear. "Haha. You really thought I'd let you get away, just like that..." His hot breath fanned her skin, causing a sickening bile to churn in her stomach. "Your mine now and I'll never let you get away... Never!" He growled and Liz shuddered in disgust as she felt his large muscular body press down against hers.

"Nnnn.... No! D... Don't!" Liz tried to protest but a burning pain shot threw her throat like she was trying to swallow a hand full of razor blades, which made her body convulse in agony, but she refused to give up and give into his scorching hot touch. "Nnnooo!" She screamed and thrashed.

"Calm down. You'll only hurt yourself." The voice still came from the male holding her down but the sound was somehow different and distorted.

"Nnn.... Le... Let... G... Go!" Liz tried to scream and the hot hands touching her suddenly vanished, she heard a loud crash, then felt something ice cold cup her face, the cooling sensation eased the heat radiating off her and felt extremely calming.

Liz slowly peeled open her heavy eyelids and to her relief saw more than just darkness as a vaguely familiar face hovered over hers, his dark glassy eyes reflected what little light filtered into the hut and bore into her green ones igniting her memories to resurface.

"T... T... You're the turtle who saved me. T... Thank you." She said in a soft raspy voice, as her eyes sparkled with unshed emotions.

"Yes." Tairen confirmed, then froze as the tears spilled down her cheeks, he wanted to comfort her but didn't know what to do.

"T... Thank... Ya... You... Thank you... I... I... I thought I w's... Was gonna d... Die..." Liz cried between gasps of breath, nearly making herself pass out again. Tairen tried to soothe her by using his thumb to gently caress her cheek, wiping away the moisture. His touch wasn't rough and calloused but wasn't soft either, it feels different like a cool soft leather rubbing across her skin, it was soothing. Liz's eyes slipped closed while she struggled to calm herself and even out her breathing, but after a time her racing heart slowed and even though she was still exhausted she didn't feel like she was about to pass out anymore and Liz opened her eyes to find two dark eyes staring right back at her, watching her every move.

"Are you alright now, female?" He asked in a low soothing rumble as he stroked his thumbs across her cheeks once more.

"Y... Ya... Kha!Kha!Kha!" Liz's words were stopped by a harsh coughing fit, her throat burned with a dry feeling and a metallic taste coated her mouth.

"Lift her head to help her drink." Dylan instructed as he handed over a bowl of water and Tairen did as he was told, gently cupped the back of Liz's head and pressed the bowl to her lips. She tried to guzzle it too fast, nearly making herself choke but Tairen pulled it away and only allowed her to have it in a slowly controlled way making it so she could only take small sips. It took forever but Tairen patiently fed her two and a half bowls of water this way before she was satisfied.

"Liz... M... My name is Liz. I'm... I'm sorry what's yours?" She asked remembering he'd mentioned it but was in the midst of a panic attack and couldn't recall his name.

"Tairen." He answered suppressing the complicated emotions he was feeling for this seemingly gentle female.

"Tairen... Thank you for saving me. I... I would have died if... If you hadn't found me..." Liz sniffled and Tairen gently caressed her cheek with his knuckles and thumb.

"No, Liz..." Tairen pursed his lips after saying her name like he was taking in the way it felt or sounded leaving his mouth. "You would have survived. You're strong for a female... Not strong... Weak but you have a strength inside you... A power..." He said softly but with a complicated expression in his dark eyes as they boor into her light ones, it was like he was looking for an answer she didn't know the question too.

"Uhh... Umm... Ya... You still saved me so my Thanks stands." Liz said still confused, she knew he wasn't trying to insult her but she didn't understand what he was trying to say or ask either? "I... I need to find my mate... Can you help me?... Please."

"I was wondering why you hadn't called for your mate yet?" Dylan asked and Liz looked at him like he was crazy.

"Called?" She repeated in confusion knowing full damn well there aren't any telephones in the beast world. But her thoughts were interrupted as Tairen grabbed her wrist and guided her hand until it rested on her chest just over her heart.

"You favor this male most right?" Tairen asked and Liz blushed remembering Jin's tattoo on her chest, but she still didn't understanding it's significance. Strangely the more she thought about Jin the more a warmth began to spread through her chest, it was like she could feel him, his worry and fear now suddenly mixed with a slight relief like he could feel her too and knew she was safe.